What are your main duties and responsibilities at Testive?

I am a full-time coach. While I spend most of my time—as one would expect—coaching, I am also hard at work on creating content for Testive’s NEW SAT software platform.

What’s your favorite part about working at Testive?

Our t-shirts are pretty great and the people are wonderful, but I think what appeals to me most about my job is to be able to work one-on-one with high school students. College application season is a difficult but crucial moment for students. It’s at this time that I think I can have the largest impact on students.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do?

I like to run while listening to iTunes U lectures and audiobooks. I read everything I can get my hands on, drink inordinate amounts of tea, play guitar, and really wish I had more time to play guitar.

What’s your favorite food?

Arugula

What’s your favorite movie and why?

This is always changing, but I recently rewatched Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. In addition to creating an unparallelled atmosphere with its sublime art style and score, the film becomes quite thought-provoking if you think of it as a Marxist commentary.

If you had to choose a song that best summarized your personality what would it be?

Joanna Newsom, “Balloons and Bridges.”

What quote do you try to live your life by?

“Hold off on the yogurt till the very / last, when everything may improve.” ~ Frank O’Hara, “Five Poems”

Are you a cat or a dog person?

Dog

Mac or PC?

Mac

If you had one piece of advice to give college-bound students, what would it be

Whenever you write something, ask yourself if it is cliché. If the answer is yes (and you’re not writing for some sort of rhetorical effect), then do not let this phrase, sentence, etc. see the light of day. Write something new.